ATFL, Thirty-One Groups Call for Israel to Release Cluster Bomb Data

WASHINGTON, June 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Task Force
for Lebanon (ATFL, http://www.atfl.org/) presented a letter to Secretary
Condoleezza Rice today, on behalf of 31 organizations, calling for U.S.
government intercession with Israel to obtain detailed site information on
Israel's cluster bomb strikes in Lebanon in the summer 2006 war.
ATFL Executive Director Dr. George Cody said "Our primary concern is to
expedite remediation of cluster bomb sites and to ensure the safety of the
brave demining teams in the field, UNIFIL and Lebanese Army personnel, and
civilians including USAID employees."
Israel's strikes left an estimated 1 million unexploded cluster
munitions on the ground in Lebanon, contaminating a total of 380,717,455
square feet. Only 117,872 of these munitions have been cleared as of 24 May
2007. The unexploded munitions have resulted in 32 fatalities and 207
injuries since the 14 August 2006 cease-fire.
Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch told the House Subcommittee
on the Middle East and South Asia on 18 April 2007 that "Israel has not yet
provided detailed information." The 15 March 2007 U.N. Secretary General's
report on Security Council Resolution 1701 reported: "Despite repeated
United Nations efforts...I regret that Israel has not yet provided UNIFIL
with this data..."
The 31 groups seek a meeting with Secretary Rice to discuss the
humanitarian importance of the cluster bomb targeting information and steps
that can be taken to obtain the data.
A listing of the 31 participating organizations follows.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
American Task Force for Lebanon (http://www.atfl.org/)
American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (http://www.adc.org/)
American Arab Chamber of Commerce (http://www.americanarab.com/)
American Druze Foundation (http://www.druze.com/)
American Educational Trust (http://www.amedtrust.org/)
American Muslims for Constructive Engagement (http://www.amceweb.net/)
American Near East Refugee Aid (http://www.anera.org/)
American Task Force on Palestine (http://www.americantaskforce.org/)
American University of Beirut (http://www.aub.edu.lb/)
Amnesty International USA (http://www.amnesty.org/)
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
(http://www.antiochian.org/)
Arab American Institute (http://www.aaiusa.org/)
Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services
(http://www.accesscommunity.org/)
Council for the National Interest (http://www.cnionline.org/)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Washington Office
(http://www.elca.org/advocacy/federal/)
Friends Committee on National Legislation (http://www.fcnl.org/)
Hariri Foundation (http://www.haririfoundationusa.org/)
Islamic Society of North America (http://www.isna.net/)
Jewish Voice for Peace (http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/)
Lebanese American Association (http://www.laa.org/)
Lebanese American University (http://www.lau.edu.lb/)
Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
(http://mcc.org/us/washington/)
Moawad Foundation (http://www.rmf.org.lb/)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (http://www.mpac.org/)
National Council of Churches USA (http://www.ncccusa.org/)
National Council on US-Arab Relations (http://www.ncusar.org/)
National Peace Foundation (http://www.nationalpeace.org/)
National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (http://www.nusacc.org/)
Northern Ohio Lebanese American Association (http://www.nolaa.org/)
The Episcopal Church (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/)
US-Arab Economic Forum (http://www.usaeforum.org/)